Easy High-Protein Cottage Cheese Alfredo
A creamy, high-protein twist on classic Alfredo sauce made with cottage cheese for a healthier, protein-packed pasta dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz uncooked fettuccine noodles (or pasta of choice)
- 1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- Optional: Fresh chopped parsley and/or extra Parmesan for garnish
- Optional: 1 tbsp cornstarch for extra thickening, if needed
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add your chosen pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about ½ cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Prepare Alfredo Sauce: While the pasta cooks, combine the cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper in a high-speed blender. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
- Heat the Sauce: In a large skillet, melt the olive oil or butter over medium-low heat. Pour in the blended cottage cheese sauce and gently whisk as it warms through, about 3-4 minutes. Avoid bringing the sauce to a boil, as this can cause it to separate. If a thicker sauce is desired, a small amount of cornstarch can be whisked with some of the blended sauce (to create a slurry) and then added to the pan to simmer until thickened.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked and drained pasta directly into the warm sauce in the skillet. Toss thoroughly until all the pasta is evenly coated in the creamy Alfredo sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with fresh chopped parsley and additional grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Use a high-speed blender for the smoothest sauce texture.
- Avoid boiling the sauce to prevent separation.
- Adjust thickness with reserved pasta water or cornstarch slurry as needed.
- This recipe is naturally high in protein due to the cottage cheese.